A Kiss of Separation

It had been a long day.

The sun was starting to set, and the festival was beginning to wind down. Some people were still dancing, others were eating or waiting for their food. I saw my friends, and we all decided to sit on a bench and grab some dumplings from the vendor.

I took a bite of the juicy meat inside, feeling the juices run down my lips. I wiped it off with my sleeve, but it only made more stains.

"Oh? It's Yuan-min!"

Someone had called me from behind. I looked up and saw Habaek walking over toward us.

He was older than me by two years, and a very important person in our village. He was the son of the shogun, one of the most powerful men in Japan by that time. He was also beautiful - well-mannered, smart, and kind to everyone in our village. But he was so far above me that I could never have dreamed of anything more than friendship with him. I stood up quickly to bow at him as he got closer to us, but he gestured for me not to bother when he approached us.

"Yuan-min! Isn't it great that we're both here at the same time!" He smiled at me brightly - his perfect teeth were glistening under the setting sun.

I couldn't help but smile back at him too. "Yes! Thank you for coming," I said politely while looking down at my hands clasped together in front of me.

"Oh please, it's not like this festival is something special! And anyway," he said as he turned around to gesture at us all sitting on the bench with him, "I'm already here with Shyanne and her friends."

That name caught my attention immediately: Shyanne was his fiancée - they were engaged to be married next year when they turn 16 years old! How many times had I dreamed about being her friend too? But she never even talked to anyone in our village except for Habaek and his father's higher-ranked associates. It would never happen... or would it?

That thought excited me so much that I almost forgot about how tired I was after working hard for hours all day long at the festival in order to keep everybody fed! But Habaek interrupted my thoughts again by turning toward Shyanne who sat across from him on another bench, though quite far away from us on our own bench. She waved back at him sweetly, her shiny black hair waving around her face like a halo as she did so... so beautiful!

I looked back down at my food just before drooling on myself again as I stared at her too intently. As soon as I did, though, Habaek spoke to me again while smiling at Shyanne with such love in his eyes that it made me feel warm deep down inside too: "Anyway Yuan-min, could you walk with them over to their carriage? We'll meet you there soon." His smile widened when she shyly nodded in agreement before turning back toward him again before anyone else could see what she'd done - oh gosh! Was she blushing too? I couldn't tell because of how dark it had gotten out now that the sun had set... but maybe it wasn't just my imagination making me think there was a pink tinge on her cheeks this time around! If so... then maybe she really liked Habaek too?? That thought made me feel even warmer inside... but also somehow sadder too!? Why would seeing them together make me feel both happy and sad?? Maybe because it meant seeing them together meant they probably wouldn't want anything more than just friendship from someone like me...? Oh no, could that be why?? Maybe... maybe seeing them together didn't mean anything good for someone like me after all...?